Black History Symposium explores topics in sports

PRINCESS ANNE, MD-“Sports and the Struggle for Peace, Justice and Prosperity” is the theme of the ninth annual Black History Symposium at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Three events open to the community explore how sports are never just about the game.

“All over the world, people are using sports to achieve peace and justice. Look for instance at the recent movies, “Invictus” and “The Blind Side.” In basketball and soccer leagues in Israel, Rwanda, South Africa, Ireland, Uganda and in U.S. cities, kids are playing together on the same teams as their traditional enemies, learning how not to hate each other,” said Dr. Kathryn Barrett-Gaines, associate professor of history and director of African and African-American studies at UMES.

Dr. Dean Ravizza, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Salisbury University, will speak on the topic "Sports and Former Child Soldiers in Uganda" on Thursday, March 4, at 12:30 p.m. in Hazel Hall, Room 1015. Ravizza's research of four years involves the use of community-based sports programs for youth who are involved in the war in Northern Uganda and other conflict regions in the world. He received his doctorate from Virginia Tech with a focus on the psychosocial aspects of sport.

"American Politricks: Sports, Civil Rights and the Cold War," a presentation by Dr. Damion Thomas, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland College Park, takes place on March 4, at 6:30 p.m. in Hazel Hall, Room 1015. He studies sports, race relations and civil rights; U.S. foreign policy and the integration of sports; black athletic activism; African-American athletes and the Cold War; the globalization of basketball; black masculinity and sports; and black athletes and racial representation. He earned a doctorate in American History at the University of California, Los Angeles.

On Wednesday, March 31, from 8-10 p.m. in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center, Kevin Blackistone of ESPN will host UMES students and coaches in a roundtable discussion of sports and prosperity titled “Who Really Prospers from Sports?”

Blackistone is a national sports columnist for AOL “FanHouse,” a panelist on ESPN’s “Around the Horn,” a contributor to National Public Radio's “All Things Considered” and co-author of “A Gift for Ron,” a memoir by former NFL star Everson Walls. He is currently the Shirley Povich Chair in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at UMCP.

The Black History Symposium at UMES is sponsored by Delmarva Power. It is free and open to the public. For more information, call 410-651-6669.